Draft rigging



my' 3.1,A 1934'.

D. 1A.. 'Tow'NsEND DRAFT RIGGING' Filed Jan. 28, 1951 NM.. QW.,

:L IH u IIAHIIIIIIILT' Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,968,789PATENT OFFICE DRAFT RIGGING Donald L. Townsend, Rochester, N. Y.,assignor to The Symington Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation ofMaryland Application January 28 8 Claims.

This invention relates to railway draft rigging and, more particularly,to a connected coupler and yoke and means for supporting said partsbetween the draft sills of an associated railway vehicle.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is toprovide for the vertical angling of a coupler and connected yoke withrespect to a railway vehicle with which used, the arrangement alsopreferably permitting horizontal angling between said coupler and yoke.

Another object of my invention is to provide a yoke with arms spaced agreater distance at front than at back, and to provide a preferablyconvex surface for bearing against the associated cushioning device orrear follower to provide for vertical angling of the yoke and associatedcoupler, said coupler being preferably hinged or pivoted to the frontend of the yoke for horizontal angling therebetween, the joint betweenthe parts being preferably flexible for horizontal angling only, wherebythe arrangement provides for universal angling of the coupler withrespect to the associated railway vehicle, the coupler for that purposebeing preferably resiliently supported on a vertically movable carrierblock and below a striking block also resiliently mounted for verticalmovement.

A further object of my invention is to provide for resilientlysupporting the stem of a coupler which is hinged or pivotally connectedto an associated vertical yoke for horizontal angling therebetween, andto so form the arms of said yoke with respect to the associatedcushioning mechanism that said yoke may angle vertically above and belowsaid mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particulararrangement and construction of the various parts will become apparentas the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing illustrating my invention, the scope whereof isdefined by the appended claims:

Figure 1 is a Vertical longitudinal section taken between the draftsills of a railway vehicle and showing a yoke and connected coupler inside elevation, partly in section, and embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the draft sills shown inFig. 1, the coupler and yoke being illustrated in plan.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view on the line3--3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, like parts being designated by likereference characters, there is shown a coupler 1 having a shank, stem ordrawbar portion 2, pivotally connected for horizontal angling withrespect to an associated 60 hooded vertical yoke 3, as by means of apivot 1931, Serial No. 511,850

pin 4. The coupler stem 2 preferably corresponds with that shown in theBarrows Patent No. 1,786,- 419, dated December 30, 1930, and the yokeand connection between the coupler and yoke may correspond therewith. 1nthe illustrated embodiment, however, I show the coupler stem as in thepatent referred to, and formed with rearwardly extending horizontalflanges or webs 5 and 6 intercalated with forwardly extending flanges orwebs 7, 8 and 9 on a transverse preferably integral bridge or diaphragmportion 10 of the yoke 3, all of said intercalated flanges or webs beingintersected by the pivot pin 4, which pin lmay be supported on aforwardly extending flange or ledge 11 underlying the lower endthereof', said pin being prevented from undesired upward movement orwithdrawal by a cotter or other retaining means 12 extending betwenylugs 13 on the top of the yoke and normallyoverlying the upper end ofsaid pin 4. The intermediate flange or S web 8 on the yoke, beingrelatively thick so as to fit snugly between the flanges 5 and 6 on thecoupler, is desirably cored, hollow, as indicated at 14.

The yoke normally embraces a cushioning device or mechanism, indicateddiagrammatically by dot-and-dash lines at l5, said device, if desired,.

involving a front follower 16 and a rear follower 17. The cushioningmechanism may be supported on a carry iron 18 connected to the lowerflanges 19 of the sills 20 by rivets or other connecting means 21, saidcarry iron being preferably of such configuration, as shown most clearlyin Figure 3, that the draft gear or cushioning mechanism rests thereon,and, in turn, supports the upper arm 23 of the yoke with the lower yokearm 22 normally spaced from said carry iron. The yoke arms 22 and 23 aredesirably connected at their rear ends by a vertically extending con-4necting portion -24, the front face of which is preferably formed so asto rock on the rear face of the follower 17 or draft gear 15. Althoughsaid front face is shown convex for rocking on the follower 17, it willbe understood that, if desired, it may be formed in any suitable mannerso that the upper and lower portions of said face are spaced from theadjacent portions of the follower or draft gear to permit verticalangling of the yoke arms 22 and 23, said arms, for that purpose,desirably flaring or diverging forwardly; as shown most clearly inFigure 1, so that said arms are normally spaced from the front follower16 and/or front of the draft gear 15. The followers, as is usual, and/orthe draft gear, are adapted to engage front draft stops 25 and rearstops 26 connected to the sills by rivets or the like 27, said gearbeing illustrated as compressed forwardly against the front stops withthe coupler and yoke' shown in pull position, or acted on by draftforces. i

` The provision for vertical angling of the yoke with respect to theassociated draft gear and sills of the car is desirable because of thelack of flexibility for vertical movement of the coupler in the hingejoint between the coupler and yoke.

In order to allow the desired vertical movement of the coupler andassociated yoke, the coupler stem`2 extends through the usualcoupleropening 28 between the sills 20, said sills, in the present embodiment,being connected by a combined striking casting 'and sill tie member 29,which casting has a,coupler 4carrier block 30 resiliently supportedabove the sill tie portion 31 thereofas by means of helical springs 32.Likewise. the striking casting 33 of the casting is desirablyresiliently mounted beneath the upper wall 34 thereof and yieldinglyheld in normalposition by means of helical springs 35. Because of theconstruction illustrated, the coupler is permitted to move upward ordownward, as well as angle horizontally about the pivot pin 4, anduniversal movement to a limited extent thereby provided for said couplerstem. Although the arrangement is shown, when the coupler is subjectedto draft forces, it will be understood that corresponding angling of.the coupler is also permitted when in normal position, or under theaction of bufling forces, such forces being transmitted through theflanges 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the

edges of which are preferably concentric with the pin 4 about whichpivotal motion occurs, or some of them, and the correspondingly curvedengaging portions 0n the associated member.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that I have providedmeans for obviating the lack of vertical flexibility in the hinge jointbetween a coupler and yoke, allowing said coupler to angle vertically aswell as horizontally.

Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been'illustrated, itwill be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.-

I claim:-

1. In railway draft rigging, a coupler, a yoke having spaced armsdiverging forwardly from their rear ends to adjacent the forward endsthereof, means for operatively connecting said coupler andyoke, acushioning devicepositloned between the arms of said yoke, the forwardend of said cushioning device being normally in vertically spacedrelation to said arms with the rear portion of the upper arm resting onsaid device, means for yieldingly supporting said coupler, and means forsupporting said cushioning device.

2. In railway draft rigging, a coupler', a yoke having vertically spacedupper and lower arms extending and diverging forwardly from-a rearwardportion connecting said armsto adjacent the front ends thereof, meansfor operatively connecting said coupler and yoke, a cushioning devicepositioned between the arms of said yoke and supportingly engaging theupper arm, the forward portions of said arms being normally spaced fromthe adjacent portion of the cushioning device for relative verticalmovement therebetween, means yieldingly supporting said coupler andmeans supporting said cushion- 'ing device and having a portion normallyspaced the coupler.

3. A hooded vvert'iclliliyoke provided with a reark connecting portion,the front face of which has upper and lower portions normally inclinedrearwardly from the vertical, respectively toward the upper and loweredges, and arms divergingtforwardly therefrom to the hooded portionthereof.

4. In railway draft rigging, a coupler, a yoke having spaced upper andlower arms, means operatively connecting said coupler and yoke, acushioning device positioned between the arms of said yoke, meansresiliently supporting said coupler, and means supporting saidcushioning device with the upper arm of the yoke normally supportedthereon -at one end and spaced therefrom at the other, said last-namedmeans being normally spaced below said yoke, whereby the latter mayangle vertically with respect to said cushioning device.

5. In railway draft rigging, a coupler, a yoke having spaced upper andlower arms, a cushioning device positioned between the arms of saidyoke, means for operatively connecting said coupler to the yoke toprovide for horizontal swinging of said coupler with respect to theyoke, yielding means for supporting said coupler, and means forsupporting said cushioning device with the upper arm of the yokesupported thereon at one place and otherwise normally spaced therefrom,said means being normally spaced below said yoke, whereby the latter mayangle vertically with respect to said cushioning device, wherebyuniversal movement of the .coupler is permitted.

6. In railway draft rigging, a coupler, a yoke having vertically spacedupper and l'ower arms, a cushioning device positioned between the armsof said yoke and normally supporting said yoke by engaging the rear endportion of its upper arm, While being normally spaced therefrom at otherportions, means foroperatively connecting said coupler and yoke, meansfor yieldingly supportingV said coupler, and means for supporting saidcushioning device, said yoke being provided at its vrear end witha'portion connecting said arms and engaging the rear end of saidcushioning device, and said arms being spaced vertically, at their frontends, a distance greater than the depth of the cushioning device toprovide clearance for the yoke to angle vertically with respect thereto.

7. In railway draft rigging, a coupler, a yoke having spaced arms, meansfor operatively connectng said yoke an-d coupler, a cushioning devicepositioned between'the arms of said yoke, means for yieldinglysupporting said coupler, said yoke having clearance with respect to saidcushioning device for relative vertical angling and being provided atits inner end With a portion extending behind and engaging the rearA endof said cushioning device, upper and lower portions of the opposed facesof the said inner end of the yoke and the rear end of said cushioningdevice being normally spaced longitudinally of the draft rigging toprovide for rocking therebetween, and means for supporting saidcushioning device and yoke.

8. In a draft rigging, the combination of draft sills, a coupler memberbetween said sills, a yoke associated with said member, and a draft gearembraced by said yoke and serving to support said yoke and couplermember on said slls, said yoke having a close fit with said draft gearadjacent the rear end thereof and said yoke and draft gear being formedadjacent the forward end of said yoke to provide clearance to allowvertical angling of said yoke and coupler member without displacementofsaid draft gear.

DONALD L. TOWNSEND. l

